The White House issued the following statement Thursday saying the United States “strongly condemns” the conviction and 14-year sentencing of a gay couple in Malawi.

Statement by the Press Secretary on Court Ruling in Malawi:

“The United States strongly condemns the conviction and harsh sentencing of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga in Malawi. The criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity is unconscionable, and this case mars the human rights record of Malawi. We urge Malawi and all countries to stop using sexual orientation or gender identity as the basis for arrest, detention, or execution.”

It’s been 16 years since the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was first introduced in Congress, and according to organizers of a Tuesday rally at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco office, it’s closer than ever to being finally passed.

Today, the National Center of Lesbian Rights (NCLR) applauds Senator Franken for introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate. The Student Non-Discrimination Act is federal legislation designed to ensure that all students have access to public education in a safe environment free from discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence. The proposed legislation would provide nationwide comprehensive prohibition of discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The measure would provide victims of such discrimination with meaningful and effective remedies, modeled after Title IX.

“We applaud Senator Franken for introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate and his advocacy for LGBT youth and their allies,” said Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “The passage of this crucial bill would reaffirm our country’s commitment to our youth and help to ensure the promise of a healthy and safe learning environment for all.”

“LGBT youth have the right to a quality education and are denied this right when school discriminate and become hostile environments,” said NCLR Youth Project Director Jody Marksamer. “This legislation would ban discrimination against LGBT youth and thus would ensure the safety of public schools for everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

On January 27, 2010 Representative Jared Polis introduced the House version of the bill, H.R. 4530. The bill currently has 106 co-sponsors.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights helped draft this key legislation and is among the number of national organizations that support its passage. NCLR’s support for federal legislation to end discrimination against LGBT youth in our nation’s schools is a part of the work of its Youth project, which seeks to advance the rights of LGBT youth through education, public policy, and precedent-setting casework. By bringing the issues faced by LGBT youth front and center, NCLR changes the legal landscape for all youth, and ensures health and safety for the next generation of all young people.

Aides to Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Connecticut independent, told the Washington Post Wednesday that the Senate could vote on a bill that would extend some benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees “within weeks.”

The U.S. and its military allies agree on many things, from the size of bullets for their rifles to the design of future fighter jets. But on the issue of gays in the military, the U.S. stands alone among the Western allies.